Early activation of bioenergetic metabolism powers bacterial spore germination.

ABSTRACT: Dormant bacterial spores germinate to become vegetative cells upon germinant exposure. Despite many germinants being energy sources, bioenergetic processes have been overlooked as germination can proceed, albeit slowly, without exogenous energy sources. Here, we apply remission spectroscopy to noninvasively measure energization of the electron transport chain (ETC) in germinating spores. In Bacillus megaterium and Bacillus subtilis, energization of cytoplasmic metabolism and the ETC occurs early in germination, before or alongside water ingress and bulk CaDPA efflux. The aa₃-type oxidases (Qox, Cta) accumulate nonradical ferryl intermediates of their catalytic cycle, slowed by a high membrane potential. The Yth isoform of the bd oxidase, present in sp

SUBMITTER: Gupta P 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12772218 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature